Railway-switch



(No Model.)

0.41. OHM. RAILWAY SWITCH.

Patented Mar. 25, 1890.

' N. FEYERS. Pbolol-Rhoguvhcr. Washington. D. C.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICEN,

CHARLES H. OHM, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA.

RAILWAY -SWITCH.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 423,944, dated March 25, 1890.

Application filed October 22, 1889. Serial No. 327,829. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

' -VBe' it known thatI, CHARLES H. OHM, a

citizen of. the United States, residing in the city and county of. San Francisco, State of California, have invented an Improvement in Rail ay- SWitcl1es; and I hereby declare the followingto beafull, clear, and exact description of the same.

My invention relates to the class of railway-switches and connected signals; and it consists in the novel construction, arrangement, and combination of parts hereinafter fully described, and specifically pointed out audits position indicated by its signals.

Referring to the accompanying drawings for a more complete explanation of my invention, Figure l is a perspective view of my switch. Fig. 2 is a detail of the lockingmechanism. Fig. 3 is a cross-section on line 00 a; of Fig. 2.

A and A are two lines of railway-track coming together at an angle and having their ends in apposition with the ends of the throwrails B, said throw-rails being connected together as usual and pivoted at their other ends, whereby they may be thrown over from alignment with one of the lines of tracks into alignment with the other. Suitable stoprails b on each side limit the throw of the rails 13.

Between the inner rails of the lines of tracks A and A, at the point where they intersect each other, and occupying the usual position and taking the place of the ordinary V-shaped piece'or frog, which is dispensed with, is a guide-bar 0, having a general V shape and pivoted at its base, whereby its pointed end may be thrown from one side to the other, to fall into alignment with one or the other of the inner rails of the two lines, and thus continue the track. This guide-bar is preferably made of a plate on which are formed or secured flanges or rails continuing the surface of the rails which they adjoin and abutting against said rails squarely, thereby forming a continuous and level surface for the wheels to pass over. Stop=barsD on each side are adapted to limit the movement of the smaller end of the guide-bar, so as to cause it to accurately come to alignment with one or the other of the track-rails, and for further accuracy I have extending from the base of said guide-bar an arm 0, which is adapted to come in contact with stop lugs or blocks 0 on either side.

Thelneans for operating the throw-rails B and the swinging guide-bar G simultaneously are as follows: The free ends of the throwrails are connected by a cross-bar E, and the smaller end or point of the guide-bar is pivoted to a cross-bar F. The ends of these cross-bars are connected by levers G, which are pivoted centrally at the points g. The two cross-bars and the intervening levers form a parallelogram the sides of which are pivoted together, and the whole frame, being pivoted at g, is adapted to have a side movement, whereby the throw-rails are moved over from side to side, and at the same time the guide-bar is also moved over in an opposite direction, whereby the line of track from either side is completed.

The movement of the frame is effected by means of aswitch-lever l-L-pivoted at its lower end to a switch stand or bracket h, and said lever is connected by a link h with the end of the cross-bar E. This lever moves in a slotted guide 72 on the top of the switch-stand, and by moving it back and forth the throwrails and the swinging guide-bar are operated. In order to lock the rails and the entire switch in position in line with one track or the other, I have the following mechanism.

I is a horizontal rock-shaft, the inner end of which is pivoted in socket-bearings J,'secured toZthe road-bed between the throw-rails, and the outer end is journaled in a bearing on the switch-stand. To this outer end is firmly secured a V-shaped locking-frame K, having at its upper angles the staples 76,Wl1l(3l1 are adapted to pass through a slot or opening 71 in the switch-lever H and to receive any suitable lock to hold them together. This frame carries a lever-arm L, and is adapted to be vibrated with the rock-shaft through an arc in a vertical plane, as will be presently described. On the inner end of the rock-shaft I is firmly secured an arm M, having in its under side a downwardly-projecting pin m, which is adapted to enter one or the other of two holes or sockets e in the cross-bar E. Now, when the switch-lever II is thrown back, so as to draw the throw-rails over, one of the holes 6 in the cross-bar is thereby brought directly under the pin on. Then the frame K on the outer end of the rock-shaft is thrown up to a vertical position, whereby the arm M on the inner end of the shaftis brought to a horizontal position, and its pin on enters the hole of the cross-bar and firmly locks it and the whole switch in position. The frame K, moving to a vertical position, passes one of its staples 7; through the opening h in the switch-lever II, and then by inserting a lock in the staple the entire switch is permanently held. Now, when it is desired to throw the rails over a to the other side, the lock is first removed from the staple, and then the frame K is thrown from a vertical position over to an angle, thereby releasing it from the switchlever, and at the same time so rocking the shaft as to cause it to withdraw its lockingpin m from the hole in the sliding cross-bar E. The switch-lever may now be thrown forward again to' swing the throw-rails over to the other side, and in this position the other hole e of the cross-bar comes directly under the locking-pin 171-. Then the swinging frame K is turned up to avertical position, whereby the locking-pin is inserted in the hole of the cross-bar and the other staple of the frame passes through the opening of the switch-lever and may be locked in its new position. The sockets J, which receive the inner end of the rock-shaft, have projecting flanges j,which extend over the'cross-bar and are in position to cover its holes,whereby they are kept free from sand and dirt.

Freely suspended in a frame h in the top of the switch-lever H, is a box 0, having apertures 0 in its sides adapted to be glazed with suitably-colored glass, and secured in a frame l. 011 the top of the lever-arm L of the swinging frame K is a similarly-suspended box P, having openings 1), to be glazed with suitably-eolored glass. These boxes hang in a state of equilibrium by their own gravity, and remain so, no matter in what position or to what angle the levers may be moved; and in these boxes suitable lanterns are to be carried, to be used as signals at night. The use of the two levers in connection with the locking and shifting mechanism of the switch enables me to use two signals, which vary in their position by the movement of the levers. Thus, when a certain light is nearer to the track than the other light, the engineer knows that the switch is turned to a certain position, and when the relative position of the lights is reversed he knows that it is turned to the other position.

I do not herein claim the attachment of signal-lights to switch-levers; but confine myself to the use of the signals in connection with the two levers which are essential to the operation of my switch, and which thereby give me the opportunity of using the signals to an advantage. The boxes themselves will be painted different colors, and otherwise arranged to act as signals at all times.

Having thus described my invention, \vhatI claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a railway-switch, and in combination with the throw-rails and the two lines of track,

the inner rails of which intersect, a V-shaped piece or guide-bar pivoted at its base at the intersection of the rails and having its point free, and a swinging frame connecting the guide-bar with the throw-rails, said guide-bar being adapted to continue the inner rail of either track, according to the side to which it is moved, substantially as herein described.

2. In a railway-switch, and in combination with two lines of track, the inner rails of which intersect, the pivoted guide-bar at the intersection of the inner rails, and adapted to be thrown from one side to the other to continue the line of the inner rail of either track, the swinging throw-rails adapted tobe brough t into apposition and continue either line of track, and a swinging frame connecting the throw-rails with the guide-bar, substantially as herein described.

3. In a railway-switch, and in combination with the two lines of track, the inner rails of which intersect, the pivoted swinging guideing frame for operating it, substantially as herein described.

4. In a railway-switch, and in combination with the two lines of track, the inner rails of which intersect, the pivoted swinging guidebar at the intersection of the inner rails, and adapted to continue the line of either rail, the swinging throw-rails at the ends of the two lines of track, the sliding cross-bar E of the throw-rails, the sliding cross-bar F, connected with the guide-bar, the centrally-pivoted levers G, pivotally connecting the ends of the two slide-bars, and the switch-lever II, connected wit-h the cross-bar of the throw-rails, whereby said throw-rails and guide-bar are operated simultaneously, substantially as herein described.

5. In a railway-switch, the throw-rails, in combination with the means for locking the rails in position, consisting of a rock-shaft having an arm With the downwarcllyextending pin, a swinging frame having a cross-bar connected with the throw-rails, and provided with separate holes into which the pin of the rock-shaft is adapt-ed to fit, substantially as herein described.

0. In a railway-switch, the throw-rails, the cross-bar E of said rails, having the separate holes 6, and the swinging switch-lever H, connected with the cross-bar, whereby the throwrails are operated, in combination with the means for locking the throw-rails in position, consisting of the horizontal rock-shaft having an arm on its inner end provided with a pin adapted to engage one or the other of the holes in the cross-bar of the throw-rails, a frame on the outer end of the rock-shaft, and staples in the frame adapted to pass through an opening in the switch-lever and to receive a look, whereby the two are held together, substantially as'herein described.

7. In a railway-switch, the throw-rails, the cross-bar E of said throw-rails, having the separate holes a, and the pivoted swinging lever H, connected with the cross-bar, said lever having an openingh in combination with the rock-shaft I, the arm M on the inner end of the rock-shaft having a pin on, adapted to engage one or the other of the holes of the crossbar, the V-shaped frame K on the outer end of the rock-shaft, and the staples in the upper angles of the frame adapted to pass through the opening of the switch-lever when in one position or the other and to receive a lock, whereby all the parts are held together, substantially as herein described.

8. In arailway-switch, the two lines of track the inner rails of which intersect, in combination with a pivoted guide-bar at the intersection of said rails, and adapted to continue the line of either rail, the throw-rails at the ends of the lines of track, and adapted to be thrown into apposition with either track, the.

means for operating the guide-bar and throwrails simultaneously, consisting of the crossbar Eof the throw-rails, the cross-bar F of the guide-bar, the pivoted levers G, pivotally connecting the ends of the two cross-bars, and

the switch-lever 11, connected with the end of the throw-rail cross-bar, and the means for locking the entire switch in position, consisting of the rock-shaft I, having an arm M on its inner end provided with a pin adapted to engage holes in the cross-bar E of the throwrails, the'swinging V-shaped frame K on the outer end of the rock-shaft, and the staples on the V-shaped frame adapted to pass through connected with the cross-bar of the throwrails, the rock-shaft I, having an arm on its inner end provided with a pin adapted to engage the holes of the throw-rail cross-bar, the swinging frame K on the outer end of the rock shaft, and having staples for passing through the opening of the operating-lever and adapted to receive aloe-k, the lever-arm of. the swinging frame K, and the pivotally-suspended gravity signal-boxes carried in the tops of the two levers, substantially as herein described.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand. 7 V

CHARLES H. OHM.

Witnesses:

r S. H. NoURsE,

H. 0. LEE. 

